Anonymous wrote:I have read the MCPS code of conduct and discipline policy and it seems to be saying that out of school suspensions should not be used unless efforts to keep the kid in school really are not working. The document talks about things like restorative opportunities, opportunities for apologizing, peer justice, etc. These all sound like great things but our middle school keeps suspending my kid for nonviolent offenses such as talking back with inappropriate language and disobeying requests from staff. They’ve never given them a behavioral plan, they’ve tried to work with him but today I had to ask if he could even talk to a counselor before he was booted out the door on his suspension. They don’t seem to offer anything but out the door you go. Come pick him up. Has anyone found that MCPS handles suspensions a little more lightly than I am experiencing? Have you ever complained or fought the suspension and how do you do that in MCPS? In my opinion suspension is just stupid unless the kid is a physical threat to someone at school. Sending him home for a few days does nothing to help him change his behavior and I thought MCPS was getting that point.
If the kid is so disrespectful to staff and peers that the teacher can't even teach, then that is grounds for removal from the classroom. If this happens in multiple classrooms, then it can clearly reach the level for suspension/ parents required to pick up the student that day. MCPS is not a daycare service.